Quickie Character Flavor

Spicing up the game persona




I use three methods to immediately impart flavor to characters. One or two significant traits should be enough for regular NPCs. For PCs, the traits just tend to pile on as you keep playing.

Details, Details
This is when you delve into the background of a character and write in as much info as you can. You note down favorite foods, catchphrases, signature moves, maybe even
whole family trees. You can also create thematic details like Otto’s musical spells or Bigby’s hand spells. One of Helmut’s men keeps starting his comments with “my grampa told me…”

The Not aka The Exception
The lawful good Lich. The happy-go-lucky dwarf. The stocky elf. Melee hungry mages. Take one or two stereotype traits and turn them around. Depending on the effect you want the characters can be effective or ineffective, funny or serious. They will be surprising though if you don’t overdo it.

Cyborg

It’s a term I use for tech driven characters, those that use metagame ideas to make them unusual. Sometimes, but not always, they are created to be combat monsters. This includes those half-giant spiked chain masters with spring attack. Note that it also includes multiclass commoner/rogues. Technically, lawful good lich is also a cyborg but categories overlap anyway.